Patrice came to Texas in 1976 when her father, an Air Force Pilot who inspired her interest in astronomy, and mother, a registered nurse, settled in Wichita Falls.  After graduating high school in Wichita Falls, she moved to Lubbock and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Texas Tech University.  She worked in various fields including desk-top publishing, Head Start, and the grocery business where she met her husband.  She returned to Texas Tech, where she earned her Master of Arts in Museum Science.  She taught astronomy labs for the Physics Department, ran the On-Campus Observatory, and was Interim Education Program Manager for the Museum of Texas Tech University and Moody Planetarium.  She joined the South Plains Astronomy Club and held various officer positions. 

Her teaching has provided her the opportunity to reach audiences of every age around the globe, including Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Canada, and Australia.  In addition to astronomy, she has led art- and science-based programming on topics such as bees, dinosaurs, and bats, as well as ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian art, thru the Renaissance, Impressionism, and early 20th Century art. 

Patrice and her husband moved back to Lubbock in 2019 to be closer to their nine grandchildren.  She re-joined the South Plains Astronomy Club and is now serving as the Club President and Chairperson for Junior Activities. When not enjoying astronomy, Patrice and her husband participate in community theatre, and have sung in their church choir.  She currently works for a local bank, where she trains call center staff in the area of customer experience.